Last year’s Marshfield Fair drew about 135,000 people, but one visitor was adamantly unwelcome. She went by the name of Irene.

Tropical Storm Irene barreled through Massachusetts during the final weekend of last year’s fair, forcing organizers to end the festivities a day and a half early. The premature closure put a sizeable dent in the fair’s total attendance.

“We’re an outside venue, and like all outside venues we are slaves to the weather,” Marshfield Fair President Leonard LaForest said last week.

LaForest is hoping for more cooperation from Mother Nature this year.

The 145th Marshfield Fair starts Friday and runs through Aug. 26. It will feature live music, amusement rides, vendors, horticulture exhibits and a smorgasbord of special events ranging from lawn mower races to a pumpkin weigh-off.

There is a slight schedule change this year, as the fair will open every day at noon. In previous years, it opened at 10 a.m. on weekends.

“We just wanted to make it more uniform,” said Carleton Chandler, the fair’s secretary-treasurer. “Sometimes (the 10 a.m. start) made it harder for some of our vendors to open in time. (Opening at noon) will make for a more efficient operation.”

Three events are scheduled to start at 10 a.m.: a dog show this Saturday, a dog show on Aug. 25 and a quiz bowl on Aug. 26. Spectators will be admitted into the fairgrounds early on these days, but the rest of the fair’s attractions will not be opened until noon.

LaForest said there are several subtle additions to this year’s fair, including a lumberjack show, wooden cutouts for photo opportunities and “eye spy” signs that challenge guests to find specific items on the fairgrounds.

LaForest had hoped to draw up to 190,000 visitors last year, which would have been up from 158,000 in 2010 and 162,000 in 2009. If the weather cooperates, he expects more than 160,000 this year.

Staff reporter Charlotte Hough contributed to this story. Patrick Ronan may be reached at pronan@ledger.com.